Devices commonly referred to as "treestands" (or "trees stands" or "stands") are outdoor elevated or aerial observation platforms. They are typically used for wildlife observation, photography, hunting and the like outdoor recreation activities during which it is desirable to be undetected by wildlife. Such structures are also useful for law enforcement and wildlife management purposes.
A fundamental reason for the development and use of stands is to permit a person to be positioned in close range to wildlife forms that would flee or bolt when the presence of a human or unfamiliar element in the locale is detected. When a stand is used, a person seeks to have wildlife approach him, rather than attempting to trail or track down the wildlife. Getting above an animal's line of sight hinders visual detection. An elevated position also hinders odor and motion detection.
Another reason for the development and use of treestands is the visual advantages realized when perched in an elevated position above the ground. The topography of, and the foliage and other obstructions in, the vicinity do not block the view when one is positioned above them.
A like set of principles makes treestands valuable for non-recreational uses such as law enforcement and wildlife management An elevated position for non-recreational uses also deters detection and enables an enhanced visual observation of the region.
The height at which a treestand is elevated depends on various factors, for instance the tree or other structure selected (particularly when using a climbing stand which cannot circumnavigate limbs branching off the main trunk), manual labor and/or safety considerations (particularly when a stand must be pulled up to the mounting position), inherent limitations of the stand (particularly when using a ladder stand with a set height) and the like. The reasonable minimum and maximum height elevations of course have practical utility limits; a person does not want to be positioned either too low or too high for the purposes that brought him out to the region. To achieve at least some degree of imperceptibility to life forms on the ground, a minimum height of about five or six feet, as measured at the platform component, might be reasonable. For hunting, particularly hunting high-strung or jittery game such as deer, a desirable height might be no less than about ten or fifteen feet, measured at the standing platform. (A fifteen foot minimum elevation reduces the possibility of being within a deer's direct line of sight when the deer is approaching from a distance.) For wildlife viewing with little or no vision enhancement equipment, or for instance for hunting with range-limited weapons, a maximum height of about twenty-five or thirty feet, as measured at the platform for standing, might be reasonable. For wildlife observation, photography or management purposes, or for law enforcement purposes, a maximum height of about forty or fifty feet, measured at the standing platform, might be reasonable, particularly when using vision enhancement equipment such as strong binoculars or telescopes, or long range photography equipment. The elevation height desired also may be influenced by comfort and security considerations; the actuality and/or perception of risk to physical safety is of course increased with height.
Treestands are sometimes classified as portable, semi-permanent and permanent. Although the lineations between these categories are not always distinct, the categories provide a proximate indicia of how transportable and mobile a given stand will be, and whether a stand is designed for frequent or infrequent movement. Generally a semi-permanent use of a stand is considered to be the erection of the stand in a single place for an entire season, such as a hunting season, and then its removal at the season's end. A portable stand is moved about from site to site more frequently. A permanent stand is one that is left in place longer, for instance a plurality of years or even the duration of the stand's useful life. Permanent or semi-permanent use obviously can be made of at least some "portable" stands, and at least some people will choose to use a "semi-permanent" or even "permanent" style treestand as a portable stand. Thus the terms "portable", "semi-permanent" and "permanent" as used hereinafter each respectively include both stands designed for such use and those actually so used regardless of their design, unless expressly indicated otherwise.
The weight and handling ease of a portable treestand are extremely important factors. Some portable treestands are moved daily, and even moved in and out of an area once or more in a given day. The weight and handling ease of any treestand, even a semi-permanent and a permanent stand, is also very important if the stand must be carried or packed any significant distance. Since desirable sites for setting up treestands are often in remote areas, and normally in forested, wilderness or other secluded areas, even a permanent treestand might be packed or manually carried a far distance. Further, a person equipped solely with a semi-permanent style of stand, for instance, might encounter situations when it is desirable or necessary to move the stand repeatedly. Such a situation could arise when using a stand in a restricted area in which there is a limit to the time a stand can be left in place.
A treestand is preferably as noiseless as possible when being carried, when being erected and when in use. The advantages of an elevated position are seriously forfeited if the stand's noise alerts wildlife of the person's presence or otherwise alarms wildlife in the area into flight.
A typical treestand includes a platform upon which the user can stand upright. A platform normally will extend out from the tree or other structure on which the stand is mounted in an at least proximate horizontal orientation. The platform must securely hold the weight of at least one person and his equipment and supplies, such as photography or hunting equipment, and often heavy gear such as hiking or hunting boots. The platform should provide sound footing, particularly when the user shifts positions and directional orientation. The platform should be large enough, and have sufficient surface area, for the intended activity. Another desired platform characteristic is "transparency" or at least some degree of "viewability"; the ability of a user to see through the platform to the area directly below is highly desirable. The characteristics of load strength, low weight, and noiselessness have not heretofore been conjoined in a treestand platform. In addition, while some platforms provide a degree of downward viewability, it is believed that heretofore downward viewability at least approaching transparency has not been achieved in any commercial treestand except possibly some of the treestands having relatively heavy weight metal mesh platforms.
Treestands often, but not always, provide some type of seating structure in addition to the platform for standing. Such a seat furnishes a degree of comfort during a long waiting period while perched on a treestand. A treestand seat is normally mounted or otherwise positioned above the platform and in at least partial vertical alignment therewith.
Treestands commonly known as climbing stands include or can be associated with a climbing assist means for scaling a tree or other columnar structure. The tree-scaling features of climbing stands facilitate moving them from site to site. Climbing stands permit a person and the stand to ascend a tree as a combination. As a first example, in a stand that has a second tree surround sector attached to the platform, after securing a stand's tree surround section to the tree, a person secures the platform to his feet, for instance by placing his feet into loops or stirrups attached thereto, stands up on the platform (which is supported independently on the tree via its separate tree surround), and raises the seat together with the tree surround sector. The stand's tree surround sector affixes the upper portion of the treestand mainframe, including the seat, at that higher position. The person then sits down on the seat, and raises their feet together with the attached platform. The lower portion of the treestand mainframe, including the platform, is affixed at its new position via the second tree surround sector, enabling the person to once again stand on the platform and raise the seat further. Instead of attaching a second tree surround sector to the platform, a separate climbing aid operated with one's feet can be used in a similar manner, the person standing on the climbing aid when lifting the stand, and sitting on some stand component while raising the climbing aid with his feet. Another variation is "hand climbing" using a climbing aid operated with one's hands, a process is somewhat the reverse of "foot climbing." In any instance, the series of maneuvers (commonly referred to as the "stand up - sit down" or "inchworm" method) is repeated until the desired height is attained, and is reversed when descending. Climbing treestands ease the effort of getting both the treestand and the user up a tree or other columnar structure, and they typically are fairly heavy, for instance weighing between about 20 and 35 pounds. Any weight reduction of a given model of climbing stand without loss of structural integrity would be enormously advantageous.
Climbing stands can be used as portable, semi-permanent or permanent stands. Once the user and stand climb the tree or structure together, the eventual descent of the user can be with or without the stand. Portable ladders and other aids, such as tree steps (a plurality of single "rungs" screwed into the tree or other structure at varying heights), are well known for descending from and ascending to a mounted stand.
Fixed-position stands, also known as "hang ons", are carried up to the desired height, or pulled up after the user climbs the tree. They are then mounted on the tree or the like via a chain, a strap, a pin mount or other suitable attachment means. Many conventional fixed-position stands weigh between six and fifteen pounds, although larger stands with platform sizes up to about 30-by-30 inches and weighing up to about 30 or 35 pounds or more are commercially available.
Fixed-positioned stands can also be used as portable, semi-permanent or permanent stands. Since carrying or pulling a fixed-position stand up a tree or the like is strenuous, the heavier stands, for instance stands over twelve pounds in weight, are not considered the most suitable for portable use or frequent transport. Regardless of how frequently this type of stand is moved, the manual mode of elevating these stands, and securing them in mounting position, makes a weight reduction in any model an enormous advantage.
Stands that are outfitted or equipped with an integrated ladder-type component for climbing up and down from the stand's platform are commonly called ladder stands. These are typically designed to be assembled on the ground and then propped up against, and strapped or chained to, a tree or other structure. The ladder component also normally is attached to the platform at its "outboard" edge, that is the edge opposite the one set adjacent the tree or other structure, and functions as a support leg (or forked support leg), bearing some of the weight of the stand, the user and his equipment. A typical ladder stand will position the platform at no more than about a twelve foot elevation, and possibly a few feet higher with an extension component. The height limitations of ladder treestands are offset by the simplicity of ascent and descent provided by a ladder stand. Most ladder stands are intended for permanent or semi-permanent use and weigh considerably more than 20 pounds, even up to 30 pounds or heavier, although some as light as fifteen pounds are commercially available. Comfort and/or security can be sacrificed when the lower weight is achieved through the omission of elements; for instance, some ladder stands have no seating means. A weight reduction in a ladder stand, even one used exclusively as a semi-permanent or permanent stand, would be beneficial. As mentioned above, even permanent stands normally need to be trekked a considerable distance to the desired site. In addition, the on-site assembly and the propping up of these stands would be less demanding if a given model was lighter.
Self-supporting treestands are commonly tripod or quad-pod stands. They range from about eight to sixteen feet in height, measured at the platform. They can be used in areas that lack suitable trees or other appropriate support structures. These stands have three or more support legs that typically are splayed down and out from an elevated platform on which is usually mounted a swivel chair or other type of seat. One of the support legs often is a ladder-type component. A concealing blind oftentimes can be attached to rails or otherwise mounted on the platform element, which is particularly useful when these multi-legged treestands are used out in the open, away from any concealing foliage. Such multi-legged treestands normally weigh between about 50 and 150 pounds.
The above enumeration of treestand types is exemplitive only of typical models currently on the market, and their general structural and use classifications.
Both aluminum and steel treestands are commercially available. Steel stands are stronger and more rigid than aluminum stands, and also heavier. Fiber and resin composites are generally considered to be materials that could provide a combination of low weight and high strength and rigidity, but which are generally too costly for the present treestand market. Weight reduction in any model of treestand is normally desirable, particularly if the reduction is achieved without loss of strength, load-carrying and comfort characteristics.
Some treestand models, for instance light-weight models of treestands, would also be improved by an increased structural integrity and/or load capacity and/or comfort, even if such advantage(s) were achieved with little to no overall weight decrease.
Conventional treestands include a platform. Platform elements of treestands are typically used to support a person in a standing position, but their actual and/or intended use need not be limited thereto. Platforms on current commercial treestands typically range in surface area from about 17 inches by 17 inches up to about 24 inches by 42 inches, although smaller platforms, for instance 12 inches by 19 inches, are available commercially, and so probably are larger platforms. Larger platforms are roomier and more comfortable to the user when in use, but their weight is a distinct discomfort factor when moving the stand. The size and weight of treestand platforms are also related to multiple, and often polar, security and safety considerations, discussed below.
A treestand platform is a primary load-bearing element. It must hold up under the weight of the user and his or her equipment, which could well exceed 250 or even 300 pounds. It must hold up under a dynamic weight because the user is well expected to shift positions and directional orientations during use. It must also hold up when that weight is set on its front or forward section, which normally is extended out beyond its support components (discussed in detail later herein). For strength, one might select steel, for instance, over a lighter aluminum fabrication, but the weight of a steel platform makes a serious contribution to the overall stand-weight problem. And even aluminum platforms make serious contributions to the overall treestand-weight problem. A reasonably roomy, partially open cross-ribbed aluminum platform, for instance one having an 18 inch by 23 inch surface, will weigh about five or six pounds, despite its weight-saving ribbed construction. Even such a light-weight platform constitutes about 20 to 24 percent of the overall weight of a twenty-five pound treestand, and about 25 to 30 percent of the overall weight of a twenty pound stand. A solid aluminum platform of like dimensions would be much heavier. And any version would be heavier still if it were made of steel.
An obvious way to reduce the weight of the platform in any treestand model is merely by reducing its size. A size reduction, however, would sacrifice comfort, and probably sacrifice the actuality and perception of safety and security that is found in stands having larger platforms.
Many platforms of commercial stands are open-work platforms, that is, they are formed with ribs, slats or rods (such as the cross-ribbed platform mentioned above), or various metal meshes, held within perimeter frames. The discontinuous surfaces of these open-work platforms provide weight-saving advantages, but that weight-savings is still far less than desired. The discontinuous surfaces also provide some degree of downward viewability. The ability to see downward, through the platform, is very important because an animal silently approaching, and halting directly under a treestand, is not an uncommon occurrence. Hunters, photographers and wildlife enthusiasts alike will probably miss seeing such an animal until it is in flight, unless he or she is able to see downward, directly through the platform.
In more detail, cross-ribbed platforms provide some downward viewability, but their rods or slats still significantly obstruct downward visibility. The limited downward visibility, and the weight-savings, of a cross-ribbed construction has a price. Ribbed or slatted platforms do not provide the secure feeling and comfort of a more solid flooring. Their open spaces are, and/or might at least be perceived to be, security and safety risks. Objects can fall through or be caught between the slats or rods, events which easily lead to rapid, but unthinking and risky, retrieval and/or yanking actions. And the open spaces lead to the same type of exposure discomfort many people experience on ladders and fire escapes and the like. The rods or slats also can be very uncomfortable underfoot, especially during prolonged standing periods.
Metal mesh platforms that have rather small holes or perforations may have less security and safety problems than cross-ribbed platforms, because few objects could fall through or be caught. In addition, they will not create much of an exposed feeling. Metal mesh platforms of that type, however, do not provide any more than a very vague and obscure shadow view of the ground directly below, while providing little weight-savings.
The weight of a treestand platform, and the weight of the stand in its entirety, are important. A lighter stand can ease the burdens accompanying the transport and on-site handling of the treestand. Possibly at least as consequential, however, is a treestand's potential for frustrating a primary goal of the excursion, which is to have wildlife approach the selected location. The degree of concealment acquired by being perched up on a treestand may well be a wasted effort if getting there was noisy, or if being there is noisy. Metal platforms are noisy. They are welded or contain rivets and the like. Metal upon metal is noisy. Most anything striking or knocking against metal is noisy. They will make snapping, popping and creaking noises when in use, particularly when wildlife is spotted and the user stands, turns, shifts his weight and the like. They are noisy when the user drops or places an object down upon them. They also contribute significantly to the overall noise emanating from the treestand when it is being erected, and when a person is climbing into it, and when it is being carried or packed to the site. The chances of spotting wildlife can be destroyed by this noise during the wait, or even before the wait begins.